


the heart of a hero

by Lothely



Category: Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Angry Peter Parker, Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Spoilers, BAMF Peter Parker, Canon Divergence - Avengers: Endgame (Movie), Depressed Peter Parker, Hurt Peter Parker, Infinity Gauntlet, Irondad/spiderson - Freeform, Near Death Experiences, Not Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Compliant, Parent Tony Stark, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Possible Character Death, Precious Peter Parker, Protective Peter Parker, Tony Angst, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, peter park is a cinnamon roll, peter parker is done with losing people
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-19
Updated: 2020-04-19
Packaged: 2021-03-01 17:53:55
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,361
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23731147
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lothely/pseuds/Lothely
Summary: The fucking stones would not take his dad away from him, even if Peter himself had to take the power of the Universe.[..] Tears in his eyes and the burning feeling on his right side, but he had to keep going. He had to shut his mouth and endure the pain even if it was tearing him from the inside out. Mr. Stark had to live, for Miss Potts, for his daughter, for Aunt May. Someone had to take care of them, someone like Mr. Stark.If protecting the ones he loved meant dying,Dying would be fine.OR, an alternative ending where  Peter does not accept Tony being the one to do the Snap, and decides his life isn't worth living if that meant everyone else could be saved.
Comments: 22
Kudos: 492
Collections: The Best Irondad/Spiderson Fics, The Best Peter Parker Whump Fics, The Best of the Best MCU Fics





	the heart of a hero

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys, thank you for stopping by in this story!
> 
> English is not my native language, so I am deeply sorry if I committed grammar mistakes (maybe you can comment those down below and i will correct it). 
> 
> A few Cannon facts were changed by me as I absolutely REFUSE to let Peter lose a single more person he loves and keep on suffering like always. You are not part of this story, MISTERYO, get the fuck out.
> 
> ENJOY!

No.

No, no no no no nonononono-

That couldn't be real.

No.

Fuck!

NO!

He couldn't lose another dad, shit!

Peter couldn't deal with the pain this time, it wasn't fair. Why him, why must he suffer and suffer all the same over and over again? Why, why, why?

If Mr. Stark died, it wouldn't be a win.

Fuck everyone who didn't like the man for his arrogance or for him being rich or a hero in an armour, because he was much more than that to Peter. He was Tony Stark, his _mentor_. His fucking father figure. The last dad he knew he would get.

And Peter couldn't live after losing his dad for some shit Tinky Winky. Hell no.

He wouldn't!

Because in the first place sure as the burning hell Peter wasn't going to let that happen. No fucking way in hell.

Fuck all the Avengers who agreed on Iron Man using the fucking gauntlet. They had a fucking half Tesseract heroine right there, and they choose a normal human to that thing? Oh no. It was a fucking absurd.

The fucking stones would _not_ take his dad away from him. Even if Peter himself had to take the power of the Universe.

So, he did the right thing when everyone was keeping the infinity gauntlet out the Teletubbies reach: the moment that it got in his hands for a second time, Peter didn't give it to Mr. Stark.

He shot webs till the freaking gauntlet was well glued in his back, everyone shouting and the titan's full attention on him.

Nope.

Tony Stark was not being a martyr today.

"Underoos, what the fu-, hell are you doing??!" Mr. Stark was just so pale and bleeding that it made Peter nauseous. "Give it to me"

"No"

"Peter!"

Thanos was coming for him even with all Captain America's efforts, and man, if it wasn't a shitty situation to be, Peter would be fanboying right now because Captain _Freaking_ America was yielding Thor's hammer!

"I can't" he said, a trembling voice as an alien's army came to his peripheral vision. "I can't let you do _this_ "

"I need to! I need to fix things, kid!"

Mr. Stark knew Peter knew they didn't have much time, but what he didn't know was how much he meant to Peter. And how things just wouldn't be right.

"No. I won't let you kill yourself, I won't lose you too"

And if he ended webbing Iron Man's hands before jumping away as fast as he could while listening to his mentor's angry and desperate shouts, well… if Peter survived the day, he wouldn't complain.

Breathe in, breathe out.

For the first time in a while he let the Spidey-senses go all crazy as they always wanted: all the times he suppressed it coming back full force in a way he could only hope wouldn't end up killing him.

He felt his eardrums change, and oh God his eyes were so freaking better right now he could see a drop of sweat on Ant-Man and the guy was freaking far away, his nose just wrinkled and a blast of all types of odors was almost nauseating.

Peter was feeling it.

And secretly hoping that later it wouldn't hurt as much everything in his being was, because God it was just like the day after he gained his powers, he was so sore he could cry-

A jump and his arms and legs were acting on their own fighting the aliens when he couldn't even think because his body was screaming danger, danger, danger, and all he cared about was to fight the enemy and protect Mr. Stark.

He wasn't counting how many stranger beings he hit, and if along the way a few of them were dismembered or thrown with so much force they were smashed into the ground, Peter wasn't paying attention.

Attack, web grenade, dodge, kick, high kick, webs, punch, punch-

His stomach chose that moment to go on a rollercoaster ride, because the chills were pretty much worse than the time Toomes dropped a building on him.

God-

Thanos.

The freaking Teletubbie was right there and not even sparing a moment before attacking and making Peter jump just in time to avoid being turned into a pancake.

He bite his lip, ears registering the Avengers desperation, gasps, anger and pain. He could hear each one of them, even their breaths and heartbeats and it was fucking horrible.

"Sooo, I think you owe me an apology for snapping me to dust?"

"The universe doesn't need half it's beings, I did a favour"

Whatafuckingcrazyidiottelettubie

"Dude, you got some real problems", he couldn't control his sassy, nope. That guy was big and his idiocy was even bigger. "You had a hard time in the past, I understand, but killing innocents? It's not cool at all"

He tried to be reasonable. Maybe that guy was feeling guilty for killing so many people, and they could talk and end things in a good way.

Thanos scoffed. "What I did is something the universe needs. Useless specimens are always exterminated one way or another, for something better to replace them"

"Uuh… are you stupid? Don't you know there's something called evolution? Environment adaptation? Shit like that?"

The guy probably didn't like being called stupid, if his punch attempt meant something.

"I lost everything because of other's greed and meaningless wars. Such perverse beings and theirs alikes should perish"

 _Then_ _perish_.

Okay. That was it.

Peter didn't need to think, his body just moved and suddenly he was fighting the damn Titan trying to give him back some reasoning because GOD HE WAS AN IDIOT.

He gave and received, maybe it was hurting and all but right now all he could feel were his senses that kept telling him to fight, fight, destroy, annihilate that man. Anger in all of his moves just like when he wanted to chase uncle Ben killer and crash him to a slow and painful death.

His spider wanted Thanos dead. Dead.

"You wouldn't understand, child"

The titan's bloodied smile made Peter hate him even more. Now a few feet away from the giant grape, both breathing hard and injured, the boy couldn't feel pity.

No. It wasn't about pity.

It was about always being hurt, about losing people all the time, about the years of bullying and abuse and silence. It was also about being underestimated, called a liar and so much more depreciating things, about having to choose between lunch or dinner when things got difficult, or about being always alone and feeling like he couldn't be a damn happy person.

Like someone decided he doesn't deserve to love and be loved. As if there was, in fact, a curse on him.

Because everyone always left.

And he was alone again.

"You are the one who doesn't understand a shit, Oh 'Great Lord' Thanos" it came so acid that Peter could almost feel his tongue burning. "You know what? You're a fucking imbecile, cause who the hell can think about decimating children just because he's hurt? I don't give a fuck if your home was destroyed, it doesn't mean you can do that to others! You know why? BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE ALWAYS FIGHTING THEIR OWN BATTLES. And you don't have the fucking right to kill little children or leaving them alone in the world. Killing your own daughter?! It's fucking wrong! You don't know half the story of the people that are fighting you today! You don't know what they've gone through! If your beautiful home and precious people were taken from you, why the hell did you do the same to others?! Isn't it common sense? DON'T DO TO OTHERS THE WRONGS DONE TO YOU! YOU FREAKING IDIOT"

With that, he felt himself lift the titan by a leg and throw him away without caring about using too much force. There was rubbish thrown at him at some moment but Peter couldn't care about not doing reckless things right now. He was just so damn angry at the guy, he webbed some of them to return the gift with full force, and if his hand ended breaking concrete, he didn't feel. All the boy thought about was getting back at Thanos with as much strength he could, because the jerk wasn't going to die easily, so maybe he could take advantage of that situation and his enhanced abilities. Walking never felt so good, because oh God he was always stepping on eggshells afraid to hurt everyone and now he didn't need to!

"I feel like someone with shit in their brain decided to choose me of all fucking beings in this universe to keep being alone" he found himself confessing while the purple alien tried to miserable get back to his feet. Come on, his hit wasn't even that hard.

"I'm tired. Tired of being left alone and losing people, my parents, my uncle, my aunt. My friends. People I had to try hard to keep them around because I'm a fucking cursed teenager that keeps getting into trouble and hurting them. I always hurt people because I'm that kind shit of a person. I try to make things work, and poof, everything that I fucking do goes wrong!"

His throat was feeling dry, and maybe he was screaming a little.

"I can't deal with it! Everywhere I go some disturbing catastrophe happens, people get hurt when I care for them, and even then?! I keep trying to not hurt anyone! Those fucking muggers that are always stabbing and shooting me with your alien tech and I have to make shitty excuses for why I am sore and pale in classes, i don't hurt them! That fucking bastard father of my ex girlfriend?! I didn't try to kill him even if he dropped a fucking building on me! Even if that HURT LIKE HELL and I thought I would suffocate under a rubble of ten tons! And that sociopath?, he kept making holes in my body and even if I almost bled to death I didn't want to hurt him! I always try, try, and IT'S NOT ENOUGH! I AM NEVER ENOUGH! Then, YOU!? You came with your shitty reasons to kill half the universe, with a sick mind that makes no sense to anyone! And if you just STOP FOR A MOMENT and just LISTEN to what the fucking stones are saying, you'll know that IT'S SIMPLY NOT RIGHT!"

A punch into his face was only one of the things Peter wanted to do, but it was so good not having to restraint against someone! And man. That felt good! Being able to hear the distinctive sound of bones cracking under his hands.

His spider was out for blood.

Peter spat, the taste of metal in his tongue. Maybe he was bleeding internally, or maybe he bit the insides of his cheeks.

"It hurts. It hurts to breathe, to move a single inch all the time because I always think I'm gonna lose control and hurt someone. I can't even hug them because I freak out about squeezing them to death and the nightmares won't leave me alone! It hurts that I am a disaster, and a radioactive accident and a poor orphan!

Breathe in, and out. A hiccup almost got out.

"You have no idea of how much it hurts being turned to dust. It burned me alive. You will never get how it's to feel each of your cells exploding and knowing it that for everyone else it took only a second, when in your turn, it took forever because your advanced healing wouldn't let you die peacefully ! I was in pain the whole time, and you can't ever understand how much that hurt!"

Finally, after the grape man was pretty well beaten up like the crap he was, Peter decided to retrieve the gauntlet still protected by his webs with a simple "rip" sound when he tore them apart.

"I don't want to kill you, even if I hate all the things you've done. I don't- _I_ _can't_. Cause if I kill you right now, it's going to be hard in the future"

"No need to think...that much, child.. I'm almost-", the voice was hoarse, and with a tired resignation of defeat before his words stopped.

Playing with the gauntlet from hand to hand, Peter knew exactly the face he was doing and the reason behind the man's horrid silence. It was the bitter sketch of a smirk and dead eyes Peter never let out to anyone because they didn't need to see such misery.

"I knew you could take me on in a real fight. You were the only one I've ever tried to… kill" that word tasted bitter on his tongue. "The first and hopefully the last to know what it's like to get me like this. I'm struggling to control my strength, and the truth is that I always held back with everyone I ever fought. Because there's something in me that wants to do harm, but I don't want to. You? Not with you. I could fight you without worrying, for the first time since I got these powers. One thing that's clear to me for years, is that I'm not a normal human anymore, so I can't fight them seriously"

Peter gave a look to the colorful and shiny stones wondering how much it would cost him, how much it would hurt. Really, it couldn't cost him anything, as he didn't have much to lose but himself. And it didn't matter.

"Everything I was, someone took from me and made me like this, even if by accident. I'm a universe's mistake, just like I'm a failure. Maybe I did deserve to be snapped, hell, I probably still do.

Peter took a shallow breath, finally his senses revealing the pain hiding behind the adrenaline's outburst. His throat burned when a bloodied coughing erupted from his lungs.

 _Miserable_ _as_ _always_ , _Parker_.

The gauntlet still in his hands, Thanos waiting for death right beside his feet. A look into the battlefield to see the alien army still fighting and monstrous creatures descending from holes in the sky together with the sun going down. Mr. Stark was still trying to release the armour with little success, and looking forward, Peter could recognize his natural webs gluing more things than he remembered.

Actually, a whole bunch of aliens turned into cocoons.

It was funny when he discovered that his body produces webs, funny and scary. The web fluid of the natural was way different from the synthetic one, something about their adherence and durability. The synthetic fluid would melt in about two hours, perfect to keep the neighborhood clean (mostly because his patrolling was done in the middle of the night), on the other hand, quite literally, his natural fluid was sticky and had a good grip for at least twelve hours.

Not such a good thing the first time playing with them, May must have thought that he was doing indecent things while all that was happening in his room was he trying to take the damn webs without screwing the walls.

Oh man, he didn't even need to try that much when he took the gauntlet. His hands would naturally produce some kind of acid, if he wanted them to.

But Peter didn't do that enough times to know if there was going to be damage to Iron Man's own gauntlet.

What brings him back to the current situation, cause even with his monologue it couldn't have been more than five seconds. Time was just like that sometimes: slowed.

Or maybe he just thought too much.

Peter knew he couldn't destroy the infinity stones, or the gauntlet itself without doing the snap first. He just didn't want to, even if his home was being destroyed by the enemy. 

Thanos waited almost patiently, even if now he at least tried to get back to his feet; bruises and blood everywhere. 

_You've done this_.

One look at Mr. Stark. He was married to the woman he loved, and had a baby girl now. He was truly happy, after so many years of pain.

 _He wouldn't care_.

Aunt May would move on, she was a strong woman after all. Maybe she would find another man she loved, and without Peter in their way they could have a better life. Maybe have kids of their own.

"Queens, stop! STOP!"

 _You were a liability from the start_.

"Don't, Spidey! DON'T!"

Yeah… It was the right thing to do.

"PETER!"

One last breath, and he put his right hand inside the gauntlet.

"NO, PETER, NO!!'

The pain jointed instantly to the rest of his right side, cells crushing deep inside him and making the boy shiver and gasp because that was just as bad as being snapped the first time. Vision blurring and his chest compressing, Peter almost yanked the gauntlet off his arm and he had to keep his left hand from doing it, contenting his reflexes by holding his exploding arm with all the strength he had.

Peter had do make sure his right arm was still there because it didn't felt like it, and probably that was a stupid idea cause the scream that left his throat was anything but a happy one.

“Take it OFF! TAKE IT OFF!”

“KIDDO!”

“OFF, PETER!”

 _You’ll screw up_.

 _You always do_.

Everybody’s going to die because you’re not good enough,

 _Good job, Peter, on getting everyone killed_.

 _Like you always do_.

No. No. NO. He wouldn’t screw things. He COULDN’T, dammit.

Tears in his eyes and the burning feeling on his right side, but he had to keep going. He had to shut his mouth and endure the pain even if it was tearing him from the inside out. Mr. Stark had to live, for Miss Potts, for his daughter, for Aunt May. Someone had to take care of them, someone like Mr. Stark.

And Mr. Stark. God, he looked so scared right now. Peter could've sworn to see him cry. But why would he? Peter was just.. Peter. Not someone important.

He was just a poor orphan from Queens with some enhanced abilities, but it wasn't like he was irreplaceable.

Oh man.

That hurt. Were his thoughts always this cruel?

Dear God, self-pity really could wait till his death. He was going to die, right? All that pain meant that. Taking the gauntlet was the same as dying, he knew that. Peter knew about it and still made that decision.

It was better that way.

He could find peace in death, like the Third Brother of the Tale of Three Brothers did. He could greet Death like an old friend and go with him/her gladly as equals. He thought of dying before, too many times to be considered healthy and contemplated it way more than anyone should.

Dying would be… fine.

"Don't, don't, please, God, don't, Peter! Peter, I need you, kid, don't do this to me, the whole point of this shit was to get you back! You can't die, kid, you can't. I love you,Peter. I love you, I love you, I can't lose you!"

He felt the weight on his stomach and closed his eyes.

"PETER!'

And with one last breath he snapped his fingers.

.  
.  
.  
.

For his whole life, Anthony Edward Stark knew what pain was. He had a father that was cruel and abusive to him as a child, a lovely mother that couldn't go against the man. He lost both of them and was alone in the world with a millionaire Industry, vultures on him 24/7 waiting for his foolishness so they could take his money. Tony was a genius, so he managed on his own until he found someone he could trust. As years went by, Tony made a lot of mistakes. Hell, so many of them actually he couldn't keep counting. Selling his tech to terrorists was one of them, turning into Iron Man probably another of them. Being an alcoholic a third. The Accords, and the shit that happened in Berlin were also mistakes.

Meeting Peter Parker was not one of his mistakes. Blackmailing Peter Parker and placing him as Spider-Man in a fight against some of the strongest humans because of a piece of paper, certainly a mistake.

He didn't care for the kid that time.

Taking Peter's suit after the Ferris incident? Huge mistake. The kid almost died because he faced a psycho with a onesie. And Tony was so freaking wrong, even if he thought he was doing good.

Telling Peter was nothing without a suit would haunt him for years.

But Peter? Peter wasn't a mistake. The kid was a genius, pure, funny and adorable, with so many good things about him that he made his way into Tony's heart. He made Tony love him.

With the events on Titan, Tony could say he never was so broken like he thought. Losing that kid and seeing him suffer as he turned into dust, was the most painful thing Tony ever lived. _Why, why, why, why. Such a good kid had to die, why, why, why, why_. It wasn't fair. It was just cruel and heartless.

Then, Tony didn't want to live too. Peter was the only one allowed in his labs, the only one he could talk about science and enjoy company while working. God. Losing Peter hit him hard, so hard Tony couldn't help but isolate himself from the rest of the living Avengers.

Pepper, Rhodes and Happy were alive, but his kid wasn't. And it hurt so much Tony wanted to drink himself to death all over again, the nightmares wouldn't let him alone, the panic attacks frequent once more. It took all Pepper's efforts for him to not do some stupid thing.

The turning point to Tony's misery was Pepper telling him she was pregnant. Oh God, how hard he cried then. Cried his heart out, sobbing like a child in her arms, the happiness for that baby in contrast to losing his other kid.

Tony realized sooner than others he already was a parent. For Peter. Always for Peter.

He just wished he could've said he loved the boy before he disappeared in his arms. Oh God. That was his biggest and most heartache mistake. So when little chubby Morgan came into a broken half world, he made sure to tell her he loved her all the time, three thousand. Three thousand meant his hours with Peter, his first child, and for five years that number became his mantra, and along with his little girl, Tony had it as a reminder to fix things. To find a way to bring Peter back, without losing her.

They found a way to gather the infinity stones. And as he made his own version of Thanos' gauntlet, Tony knew he would be the one to yield it. He knew he was going to die the moment after he made the snap, and he was so gonna miss his baby girl, her chubby cheeks and cheesy smile, he was going to miss Pepper so much, and Peter. He wouldn't see his children grow up, wouldn't show Peter himself all SI new technologies and labs, or the new suit he made for Spider-Man, they wouldn't talk about nanotechnology and new inventions, wouldn't be able to see his son off to college.

Tony Stark was going to die with too many regrets, certainly was. At least, he didn't believe that anything on his last day alive could break him again like Peter's death did five years ago. He was wrong.

The moment Peter got the gauntlet out of Thanos' reach, Tony knew something was off. Peter didn't follow Strange's directions.

And it was Titan all over again.

He watched with tied hands his boy taking the place supposed to be his, and facing an army alone while keeping the gauntlet and the stones protected inside a web cocoon.

Tony screamed for him.

Peter couldn't do that. Not him. It was Tony's mission.

So he watched scared while his kid fought dozens of aliens like it was nothing, abilities Tony haven't ever seen and a strength his eyes couldn't believe.

"That kid's suit is amazing"

He heard someone whisper behind him, but he couldn't take his eyes off the kid. Iron Man's armour attached to webs so strong he couldn't move his hands.

The suit wasn't supposed to be that good. Not against that crazy titan's army.

"FRIDAY, what are these?! I need to free my arms and take Peter out of the fight!" He grumbled and stretched without success. Shit, when did Peter have time to change the formula?

"It appears to be Peter's natural webs, boss"

Wha- "the fuck?! He makes his webs in the lab!"

"KAREN'S system is reactivated, sir. I asked for information about Peter's webs, and everything else the IronSpider suit can know about his current condition"

"AND?" Tony was becoming dizzy, for worry, concussion or heart attack he couldn't be sure.

A hologram with the kid's suit came from his helmet into thin air. Tony desperately scammed the information, eyes widening and throat dry.

"How the hell is his suit working only at 35% and dropping?!"

"There was 30% of damage caused before the snap, the other 35% however, is due to Peter's use of strength in the last two and a half minutes. The IronSpider, as your suit, boss, doesn't endure damage from it's insides"

"Holy shit"

Eyes between the screen with Peter's levels of strength, suit function, vitals and injuries and the scene of the kid fighting, Tony couldn't think straight. 

"It appears Peter had been holding back until today, boss"

"No shit, Sherlock AI".

That decrease in function of the kid's suit was worrying.

Peter was strong: physically stronger than most, if not all of the Avengers. The info didn't bring relief to Tony because when he saw Thanos going for his kid, he thought he would lose his mind.

"Sooo, I think you owe me an apology for snapping me to dust?"

They could hear Peter's voice from the old mic in the IronSpider suit, and the talk between the kid and Thanos. Peter's gasps and growls and huffed breath when they fought for each other's neck.

He'd never seen the kid so angry. In fact, Tony couldn't believe Peter right now. The kid fought tooth and nail doing some crazy stunts so easily that an Olympic Gymnast would be jealous, he threw punches after kicks, and used a super strength to get out of his way the things Thanos tried to throw in an empty effort to hold back the kid.

Tony thought his nervous system would collapse when the titan lifted a bunch of debris because it looked like fucking meteorites aiming for his kid. Before he found the strength to scream, Peter did one of the most amazing things: rather than dodging all of them that even with his reflexes must be something difficult, he choose to web a few of them before spinning around so he gave them back to Thanos, but then one of Peter's punches smashed a piece of rubble.

Tony realized Peter couldn't have activated Instant Kill because the kid didn't have his freaking mask on. So what the hell?! Punching rubbish like it was a pillow of feathers while evading another dozens?!? It was no wonder why the Iron Spider suit was almost breaking apart. The kid was too strong for it!

"FRIDAY" he called in an incredulous whisper as his eyes registered Peter punching Thanos square to the face, the titan being thrown away a few feet by its intensity. Tony could only wonder what effect it would have in a normal human being. "What else should I know?"

"... Peter's already sustaining one broken and two cracked ribs from before the snap, the injuries by now include seven broken ribs and three more are cracked. There's blood on his lungs, a moderate concussion, dozens of cracked bones, one of his kidneys are failing, he has an injured liver and I'm worried about his spleen"

So his kid _was_ getting hurt, even with all his strength to fight back and abilities to dodge fatal attacks. 

"For the fuck of the Lord!"

That shouldn't be happening. Following the original plan, by now Tony would've already taken the gauntlet and done the snap. He probably would be on his way to limbo.

Oh God. The kid didn't let him.

What were Underoos trying to do? Exhaust Thanos and finish him, or let the job for somebody else? Who would make the snap? Tony vaguely remembers seeing Peter interact with Carol Danvers, maybe he thought she could handle it. Tony thought so too, but he was feeling guilty about losing the kid, so he should be the one to fix things.

Then Peter was screaming at Thanos, furious and hurt all the same. About being tired of losing people, about feeling he had a curse that kept him from being happy. Of how scared he was of losing control over his strength and truly hurting people, even if they almost killed him. Peter told about being unable to even breathe without the fear of misjudging his strength getting the best of him.

Tony never knew.

He never thought that sunshine boy was so damn scared all the time, always on edge. He was just a kid, kids shouldn't be scared of hurting others.

But Peter was.

And even if Tony now was aware of his kid strength, he wouldn't ever let that fear become his. He couldn't let Peter be that stressed all the time, it wasn't healthy – but again, were they even going to survive? Both of them?

What hurt Tony the most was hearing Peter talk of the Snap from his perspective. His stomach almost fell and he felt the urge to throw up because goddammit, Peter felt everything in him. He was in pain and Tony couldn't do anything to help.

He _felt_.

How fucked up could that be? How the fuck such a amazing kid had to suffer that much? While everybody else was just gone in an instant and didn't feel a damn thing?

Then Peter got the infinity gauntlet back to his hands, with a face so broken and hollow eyes like he was dead inside. It made Tony desperate to get free. To go for Peter and hold him tight.

"FRIDAY, I need to get this out! Start heating up!"

"Mr. Stark, I must advertise to you. Heating up will cause irreparable damage to the suit"

He watched as Peter coughed blood before dissociating and the AI refusing orders. "I don't care!"

Tony knew that look. It was the same as him when he was back at the Guardians spaceship, he couldn't help but be off to the world and only think about Peter, Peter, Peter, Peter-

 _whatamigoingtodoo god please please_.

"Sir, it's going to burn you"

"FRIDAY, just do it NOW!"

The boy averted his gaze to Thanos, and then to the gauntlet. Tony knew what he was about to do.

"Kiddo, stop! STOP!"

He heard vaguely someone else shout too, his heartbeat was so loud he couldn't register things. He only cared about Peter.

"PETER! NO, PETER, NO!"

The pain was written all over the boy's face, teeth pressing together and pained grunts coming out, face red with veins contracting. It was unsupportable. Tony was screaming for Peter, asking him to take it off, trying to reach his kid.

Was he too late? 

His arms were already burning, but the webs still couldn't be pulled off. So Tony kept trying to force them apart, panic getting over him easily as he just watched Peter taking his place.

Killing himself.

 _Please, please, don't let that kid die. Please, please, please. He can't die_.

And Tony did jump when the webs gave out with one last rip, and even hissing as the remaining of the gauntlet of his suit dropped to the floor while scraping the burned skin, he jumped back to his feet, activating whatever was left of energy in the armours repulsors so he could get to Peter and take that goddamn infinity stones away from him.

He didn't care. No!

His kid would die if he kept that on!

Screw the universe!

He wouldn't lose Peter again!

"Don't, don't, please, God, don't, Peter! Peter, I need you, kid, don't do this to me, the whole point of this shit was to get you back! You can't die, kid, you can't. I love you,Peter. I love you, I love you, I can't lose you!"

Tony wasn't even paying attention as he rambled out loud, or how everyone was suddenly screaming over the communicators as he almost fell at least ten times trying to reach his kid.

But he couldn't, he couldn't be faster, he couldn't reach Peter.

He didn't get to him in time.

Peter snapped his fingers and everything was done. Just done.

Tony saw everything in slow motion. How every fucking alien disappeared just like the wind was blowing dust away. The Avengers sitting down or getting to their knees in relief and exhaustion, pressing over their wounds.

Peter falling, and falling back. Motionless. His body falling back light like a feather, flat as he hit the destroyed ground. The IronSpider fell apart just as graciously, leaving just the old Spider-Man suit. Blood leaking from wounds that didn't seem to be there a moment ago, head to the side.

When Tony finally, finally could touch Peter, everything felt like an eternity. That precious child was laying there just as he shouldn't be. Peter. Peter was there and wasn't anymore.

He felt hot tears streaming down his cheeks as he got the boy in his own injured body, hands touching the teenager's face so softly like Peter was going to break, and he made his way to start running his fingers through the curly hair. A sob escaped, and then another, and another one.

Tony was crying and holding his child.

Then Thanos.

The bastard had to be the last of them. Just like the plague he was, and when the billionaire saw the body still in half, just like he had been sitting before, Tony almost lost it to anger.

But the titan didn't have a satisfied look on his purple face, it was almost sadness.

"Was he… your child?"

A hiccup, before Tony could try and wipe his face while looking to the boy on his lap. "He is"

"I guess… I .. truthfully reg... regret it"

God, only Peter to convert a genocide villain. Said villain was already turning to dust by his shoulders, but kept looking at the two of them.

"... He w..as a goo..d child"

Tony sniffed. "Yeah, damn right he is"

If there was time for it, Stark would've seen the smile that crept into the titan lips, and tears that gave out his deep regret. But the dust didn't allow it, and neither would Tony feel happy to see that, as it wouldn't give his kid back.

And so the war of five years had its end.

No one was shouting celebrations, instead worried about getting their comrades and holding them tight.

Tony just sat there with his kid.

Oh, Peter.

"Tony, please, Tony, tell me you're alive"

It was Pepper's trembling voice over the communicator finally after some silence, but he could only answer her by sobbing in his cry. He lost again, he failed again, he was useless again. Nothing would ever fix that.

He heard all kinds of steps approaching, and chose to keep looking at his child. His dead child in his arms.

"Oh, Tony"

Peter looked so peaceful asleep it hurt him. Tony wouldn't see his smile, hear him laugh, frown deep when getting lectured by him and May. Wouldn't see the genius ideas, hear and feel like an old man by the vine jokes, or see the boy wearing nerd-funny t-shirts.

"So he really didn't follow the plan" it was Strange's voice, with deep regret, that he heard.

"You knew the kid would do it?" It sounded like Clint, but way more exhausted and sad than usual.

The solely "..yes" from Stephen was enough for Tony. Damn. His kid would die anyway, and all these last five years Tony thought he could change it. That he could save Peter, and die in his place.

"But something changed. This wasn't the future where we won. This boy, he… _he_ won. It wasn't like that before. It would be Stark"

"So you're saying we screwed up something in the timeline?"

"No, it's.. Something _changed_ , and I am uncomfortable enough as it is. I will not look into it"

"But I thought.." It was Capsicle now.

And Tony couldn't keep it anymore. "Enough, okay? It's enough. Peter is gone"

Tony finally looked around without caring for his crying face. Steve, Pepper, Clint and Stephen were there, but he knew the other Avengers were coming. Thor and Carol arrived a few seconds later, with Lang and Hope with them. Wanda and Barnes right after in the company of the rest of the Guardians alive.

The others were coming too.

"I'm so sorry, honey" Pepper sat down right beside him, her own hands gradually making its way through the boy's hair. Her voice was small, delicate yet sad.

"I failed him, Pep"

She pulled him into her chest, half hugging him before letting out a heavy breath.

"We all did. We couldn't protect the team's baby boy. It's our fault, not yours"

Tony sobbed, one of his hands entwined with hers and the other over Peter's face. A pale, cold, childish face.

"I-it wasn't… he's _my kid_ , he s-shouldn't.."

"I know, honey"

"I love him, Pepp. Oh God, I l-love him"

"I know"

Tony just wouldn't leave, and everyone waited as he cried and mourned.

It was over. 

.  
.  
.  
.  
.

Peter woke up to nothing besides pure and almost blinding white light, and it took him a few seconds to remember what happened and where he (probably) was. It was quiet and empty.

Quite peaceful.

Closing his eyes, he enjoyed the moment. He was dead that was for sure but he couldn't find the right to care, because there wasn't any pain anymore, his body wasn't heavy and he almost felt like floating. He wouldn't have to deal with any kind of pain anymore, he was safe.

_Was everyone else safe, too?_

Peter took a long breath. No, he shouldn't think about it. Of course they were just fine.

_What if they aren't?_

No, they should be. Peter did the snap, every alien should be gone and Thanos too. Everyone should be well and alive.

 _But what if it wasn't enough? Maybe my body didn't handle it. Maybe I died and everything was in vain. And maybe Thanos was still alive, and would kill Mr. Stark. No, no. That couldn't happen. I had the infinity gauntlet. I did the snap. He should be dead. Oh God, I killed him. Oh God, what if I didn't kill him? No, Peter. Stop. They are fine. They are fine without you. You can rest now. You did good. You deserve to rest_.

"You shouldn't be here, Peter Benjamin, son of Mary and Richard Parker"

He was so relaxed there, he didn't even jump when a sudden voice talked to him. Peter looked around without any worry. He kind of hoped that there was going to be someone there, after all he did have the most powerful stones when he died, so that there was, in fact, a voice that knew his full name? It wasn't a big surprise.

Peter just saw the stones floating in front of him, and almost gave a chuckle of how absurd this would be years ago.

"You shouldn't be here, we were waiting for someone else"

Realizing that this could take a while, he sat. Time to argue with powerful jewelry.

"Yeah, sorry. But he kinda had his hands full, so I thought I could handle this for him"

"Did you desire it, Peter Benjamin? For our power?"

That got him thinking, but he just crossed his legs like he did when troubled. "For what? You?"

"Yes, child. For the supreme power"

"Well, no. I was on a field trip before this whole shit happened, and how could I imagine that a big grape would try to kill half the universe? Man, I just wanted to find a matching pair of socks in my drawer and get to school on time", it was almost funny how his bigger problem that day seemed to be unmatching socks. "Then there were these two weird guys, just like Pink and Brain but green, and before I knew, I was in this mess with the Big Grape"

They (?) seemed to wait for him to keep talking, so he decided to ask them.

"What do you want, after all? Thanos is dead, I'm dead and half the universe is back, it's over. It should be enough"

"It shouldn't be you"

Ooh, so they were angry. By that, Peter couldn't help but scoff. "No shit Sherlock. Like I said, there's nothing left to do"

The stones hovered closer to him, their shine more colorful.

"We were expecting Anthony Edward, son of Maria and Howard Stark"

"Yes, I've guessed that already. But you're stuck with me, so get over it" he huffed, left hand going through his hair like something was there.

Peter couldn't shake the feeling that something was in his hair, so he kept his hand there. It was strange, he wasn't feeling any pain so what was that?

"It shouldn't be you" they repeated, and the teenager rolled his eyes.

"I already did it! No turning back now, because I'm dead. Content yourselves with me and stop complaining! I'm dead, dammit"

His voice cracked a little, but he hoped they wouldn't care enough.

They did.

"It was not your time or how it should've happened" the stones explained quite casually, or as casual talking-stones could get. 

But Peter didn't feel great hearing that. Right, not his time. Fuck them, fuck everything. Not his time, his ass!

"Really? Because _I am here_. And if any of you thinks it was time for Mr. Stark, it's bullshit. He finally had a family, he finally felt loved, why would this be his end? It's not right"

"It's not right for you too. You are too young to be here"

They were annoying. That conversation wasn't going to solve anything, because what was done was done. Peter was satisfied with the outcome and just wanted his damn peace, so he tried ignoring them.

Now there was something in his face, and it was disturbing how warm that felt. How it whispered love in his ears, and made him shiver. It made his heart ache for some reason.

He couldn't help but think about Mr. Stark, Aunt May, Ned, MJ, Happy, Miss Pepper. He would miss helping May cook, building legos with Ned, talking to MJ and being called a nerd, the usually grumpy rides with Happy that would make a joke sometimes, get to see Miss Pepper being sassy, spend lab time with Mr. Stark just the two of them for hours talking about nerdy things. He wanted to meet their little girl.

Shit, now he wanted to cry.

"I couldn't let Mr. Stark die. He needed a family for so long, and now he has one. And they need them. I couldn't let a little girl's lose her dad"

"You were the one who didn't want to lose somebody else"

Peter found the strength to laugh instead of crying. "Yeah, that too"

There was silence for a while, and the boy kept trying to not think. He couldn't regret his decision, he wouldn't.

As the sensation of something touching his face came back, he bit his lip. It was starting to look like someone was touching him in the most gentle way, and it left him with eyes watering. Something was happening, and he didn't know what.

"It's time for you to choose"

Peter lifted his head, genuinely confused by this time around. There shouldn't be anything to choose, what were the stones trying to do? What could they possibly do?

"I can't choose because I've got nothing to choose from. I'm dead, guys"

"Yes, you have to choose"

Great, this wasn't in his plans. He just had to die, that was all.

"Peter Benjamin Parker, get in your feet"

A little pissed off by the fact he hadn't found peace yet, Peter did as he was told. In his thoughts, it would be much easier as he couldn't be related to anyone else, but apparently that wasn't the case.

He wanted to rest.

He thought he deserved that.

"So, what are the absurd options?"

If they could, Peter was sure that the shitty stones would be laughing. "Choose between staying in the land of the dead, or in the living realm"

They were messing with him. _They must be, this can't be serious_.

That was how his mom and dad, and uncle Ben came to his vision. They were far away, waiting for him with big smiles and expectant eyes.

Peter's feet were already moving and he couldn't see anything else. They were there, they were real. He finally could be with them.

"Peter"

He heard someone whisper, and stopped in his tracks.

Was it worth it? He was halfway to his peace. He could be with his family.

"Peter", they… no, she repeated. Who? "It's not there where you should be"

He gritted his teeth and turned around ready to scream at the woman who he thought knew better. Only it wasn't any woman, but THE Black Widow.

Natasha Romanoff.

And there she was with braided red and blonde hair, white T-shirt, baby blue jeans and red all star. She looked at him like they've known each other for so long.

"Black Widow, ma'am?"

She smiled, half sad half lovely, before reaching out a hand to him. "Yeah, Peter. Why don't you come a little closer to me?"

He thought about it looking at her hands. There was some kind of warmness he couldn't feel about his family, and somehow that didn't feel right. So he took her hands.

But it had to be something wrong. Because Peter wanted so much to be able to meet them again.

"Peter, they would be happy to see you again, I'm sure…" see, even her agreed! "But not now, my love"

"But-" Peter had to look around, almost breaking contact with the woman. They were still there, waiting. But-

What was happening? His family was far away than before, and even if Miss Romanoff kept holding him, he still felt touches in his face and hair. It wasn't her.

It was the same warmness as her hands. Was there someone else he couldn't see?

"Peter" she repeated slowly. "You have to make your decision. Do you wanna stay with them or go back to..?"

"Them"

She looked at him with warm eyes, but a sad smile. "Think one more time, Peter"

He didn't understand why she was talking to him like that. "But, ma'am… I've wanted this for so long, to be with them, with my _family_ "

And it was true. Being alone in the world was terrifying, he didn't like being lonely. It hurts.

"I know, Peter. But you have so much more to live"

"I don't want it!" He felt his throat drying. "I don't, I can't keep l-losing people. I-i can't, ma'am"

The urge to cry was getting more and more intense. Damn. He thought this would be easier. He thought dying would be faster. "I just want to be with people who love me" he whispered, broken and on the verge of tears.

Then Miss Romanoff touched his face at the same place someone else seemed to do. It gave him an electric shock, his spine aching suddenly and making him gasp.

"Little spider, you are loved by so many people. You can feel them, right? The warmness in your cheeks, your hair. They love you so much, they can't bear the thought of living without you"

He couldn't believe it. Why? Why would someone love him? A stranger?

"You're no stranger, Pete. You're the Avengers nephew, cousin and little brother. You're Tony's and Pepper’s son, Morgan's big brother. You became family to all of the Avengers. You are not alone anymore, Pete, you have a big family who will love you everyday"

They loved him?

As if noticing his doubts, the former spy waved a free hand and he could see… the Avengers. He could see them with somber and sad expressions, and couldn't figure out why. What happened? Peter was almost freaking out, thinking that what he had done was not enough and, in fact, they couldn't fix things.

Until he saw Mr. Stark crying with a body in his lap. His body. Peter's unmoving and cold body.

_"I love him, Pepp. Oh God, I l-love him"_

Seeing how his mentor's hands connected with his face, Peter understood the warm touches that he had been feeling. It made sense,and so much sense he couldn’t help but start to cry. God, it shouldn’t be that difficult.

He wanted to be reunited with his parents and uncle for so, so long. But now? Seeing Mr. Stark crying and seeing as he wasn’t the only one, he felt like he had a hole in his chest. Man, he really couldn’t do any single thing right: always fucking things up.

“H-How... I just c-can’t”

 _Natasha_ hugged him, and oh man, how he needed it.

“I’ve got you, spider-baby, Momma-spider’s here”

He broke just like that. Tears streaming down his face while he sobbed in the former-Black Widow’s chest, wondering why all that shit had to happen. It wasn’t fair.

It wasn’t fair his parents dying in a plane crash, his uncle and aunt struggling to take care of a 6 year old boy while in debts; guys like Skip Westcott weren’t fair either, or his fucking luck everytime he had a field trip, because shit always happened, as getting bite by a radioactive spider that gave him superpowers the next day. It wasn’t fair that uncle Ben was shot by a random mugger right in front of him, and how he and Aunt May couldn’t afford the rent or even new clothes for months. It wasn’t fair meeting Iron Man just so the man had more people to go against at least half the Avengers, it wasn’t fair that Mr. Stark was so disappointed in him after the Ferris incident, and how it crushed Peter’s feelings. It wasn’t fair, it wasn’t fair. His first date’s dad tried to kill him, god, Peter was almost blown up by a falling airplane, and got real close to being crushed by a building while trying to do something good. Anything good. Being bullied wasn’t fair, being abused wasn’t too. The Decimation sure as hell wasn’t fair, neither were the lost five years of his life.

So Peter cried until he sobbed like a child he was, and Miss Romanoff was good as an angel to let him let out his frustrations for quite some time - or at least until the infinity stones asked for his resolution.

Eyes and nose red from crying, the teenager turned to his parents and uncle Ben before whispering broken words still half sobbing.

“I’m sorry, i am _so sorry_ ”

They just smiled at him, and Peter swore he heard them say “It’s okay, babe, it’s okay” before disappearing into thin air.

Natasha gave her own deep sigh and one of her hands made its way to his left cheek, a gesture that he answered by lifting his chin and looking into her green eyes. She looked about to cry, but even then her expression was the most loving one.

“I wish we had met earlier”

His own eyes were watering again, and Peter had to fight a sniff.

“You are family, too”

Her laugh was like some heavenly music to his ears. “Yeah, we are family”

Peter didn’t let go of their hug too scared she would be gone just like his parents and uncle Ben, instead he held her tighter. He could feel her and the stones tensing, but didn’t care.

“Can’t you come back with me?”

The woman denied. “I’ve made my resolve already”

Either way, he was gonna lose something. Someone.

It wasn't fair, damn.

“You need to go, little spider. They’re waiting for you”

“I can't”

.  
.  
.  
.  
.

Tony was expecting that someone would drag him from there or to try to put some sense in his grieving head as the minutes passed down, he expected eulogies speeches or even for someone snappin- no, not that word, but he thought someone at least was going to lose their patience. That didn’t happen, and later he probably would be thanking them for just sitting close and letting him be,

There was, however, some things Tony Stark didn’t expect at all.

Suddenly the infinity stones attached to the infinity gauntlet still in Peter’s right hand decided to shine, and it wasn’t any kind of shine: it was the colorful kind of only a master rainbow could give.

Between variations and degrees of “What, what’s happening?!”, “For the fuck’s sake-”, and “Isn’t it over yet?”, Tony felt his heart clenched.

It was FRIDAY’s voice that shook his fear away and replaced it with hope. A miraculous kind of hope, that even being impossible still was making his heartbeats crazy.

“Sir, I have Peter's vitals again”

He couldn’t believe even as the chest of the unmoving boy got back to going up and down, or when the eyelids made a familiar movement.

He couldn’t believe it when the kid slowly opened his eyes only seconds later. 

No- _he could_.

“Hey m’Str’k, g’d' to s’ ya” Peter mumbled a few words, voice so hoarse Tony only heard because there was absolute silence in the remains of the Avengers Compound.

No one spoke for exactly 1,06 seconds, and then everyone truly hovered closer to see his boy.

"H-hey, welcome back" Tony's smile blended with his tears, this time happy ones.

His kid smiled too and for a moment everything was pure bliss, except for the bloodied coughing ruining it two seconds later.

"FRIDAY, run the Scan again"

"On it, boss" 

"Mr. Star-", another round of coughs accompanied by wheezing and small painful moans.

" _Don't_ , don't talk. We've got you, Peter"

He tried to give his son confidence while Strange and Bruce approached to see the boy's condition, but soon the scan results appeared on a hologram. It was hard seeing those scary numbers, seeing how his kid was still close to death. Peter had so many broken bones and internal bleeding he shouldn't even be awake!

"Tony, we need to move him" Bruce in all of his Hulk glory had an urgency in his voice, something Stark was not a fool to ignore.

It was then that Peter tried to move, painful gasps worrying Tony.

"N..no, mr. Stark"

"Child, we have to get you to medical care", Strange was for the first time since Tony met him (okay, it wasn't a good amount) being reasonable and _caring_.

Tony was trying to keep his kid steady so he wouldn't worsen his injuries, but even hurt as he was, Peter was just too strong to be held back and almost panicking at the same time.

"Peter, please"

"N', n' yet, i's n' over"

Finally, when Carol came over his boy calmed down a little, as the good (he was trying to get better at giving compliments, okay?) heroine almost gently got him sitting by Tony's side.

"What? What else is coming?" She asked, but Tony could feel more concern about the teenager's well-being than for a new threat.

Peter looked a true trembling mess, obviously in pain if his scans and his laboured breathing weren't enough to prove. Still, he lifted his right hand to show them how the stones kept shining.

"Son, what does it mean?"

 _In an appropriate moment, thank you very much, Tony would kick Steve where the sun doesn't shine for calling Peter 'son' out loud before he could_.

With Tony helping, Peter rested the weight of his body by Tony's left side. Pepper passed an arm to his back, giving a little more support even though she was careful to not touch any broken ribs.

Peter took a great breath, speaking full sentences almost without gasping. "I've made th..em promise me, the s..tones. T-They _promised_ me"

What?

"Peter, please, don't do anything" Tony pleaded, too scared his kid would kill himself again.

But Peter didn't care (or couldn't focus on anything more than ignoring the pain or concentrating in his new resolution) to say anything, instead he simply took the stones off the gauntlet, one by one as if it was the easiest thing in the freaking universe.

Tony looked around just to make sure everyone else was just as astonished as him. They were. Eyes wide and mouth open comically like in a cartoon.

When he had all seven stones in one hand, the kid yanked the former infinity gauntlet of his arm while letting out a sigh of pure relief. Mentally, Tony pondered if it was possible Peter was more stressed about having that near him, than by his hurting wounds. Not satisfied enough, the boy just ripped his full nanotechnology and millionaire suit as if it was a paper sheet, putting the stones in direct contact with his bruised skin. Tony had to keep his hands from slapping the jewels off his kid, afraid it would hurt him even more. Except it didn't and he only watched half scared and half in awe, that it didn't hurt Peter, and in fact, for a brief moment it looked like it wouldn't do anything at all.

"Guys. I… I got back, just..as ...we agreed" hell, what kind of agreement was that?! "So please do… do what you promised, t..the way you.. promised me.. and you guys are free"

It was Capsicle "Holy fucking shit" that represented everyone's thinking to what happened next.

_Language!_

Tony only knew how to blink to his kid, and mumble incoherent sentences. "H-How, Peter…"

"Haha.. it's _fine_ "  
.  
.  
.  
.  
.

Peter didn't settle down with that arrangement because leaving Natasha there didn't feel right in a million years, and with everything he'd been through, he decided it wouldn't hurt to risk it. So even when there was silence for a good moment after his words got out, he didn't falter.

He kept hoping.

"Are you speaking truthfully?"

"Yes, you guys can run some kind of lie detector if you want to. I promise. I'll go back, but only if you guys do these things"

"Peter-"

"No, aunt Nat, I can't leave things like that. There's no need for some people keep hurting"

The former spy tried again "But I've already-", but the deliberation of the stones seemed to end at the same time.

"There's an agreement"

Peter finally, finally smiled.

So, when he did get back and saw himself on his mentor's lap, even with his body hurting like hell, he made sure to do his part of the promise. Getting past Mr. Stark, Dr. Banner and Dr. Wizard trying to hush him to medical care was hard, but Miss Captain Marvel came to his help, and he couldn't be more thankful.

He took the stones in his hands, closed his eyes and talked to them. Peter didn't need to see to know that it actually worked, because he never doubted the stones' words: they told him they would do it, and he believed them. But he did look, after all, because all the crying laughs and swearing of his childhood superheroes was too funny for him to miss.

And that's how the Avengers welcomed back the former brainwashed villain Loki, the Black Widow Natasha Romanoff, an Asgardian guy named Heimdall, a blue guy named Youndu, and Gamora, member of the Guardians Of the Galaxy.

Peter decided it was time to get some deserved sleep, because there was no way Mr. Stark would let him away when he got better without some needed talk, and Aunt May would probably hug him until he lost consciousness.

"Thank you, Peter Benjamin Parker. For letting us go"

It wasn't a whisper and Peter was certain he wasn't the only that heard it, but soon enough there were only two stones left in the palm of his hand as the other five silently turned into dust.

Eyes heavy and body numb, he let the Time stone make its way to Dr. Wizard while the mind stone stayed with him. Mr. Vision's android body was probably safe somewhere, and his stone would wait until it could find him.

"Peter?" Mr. Stark's voice sounded like a whisper, a scared one though.

".. need sleep. Eat.. can't heal without sleeping and eating a ton"

"Are you.. kid, you're not going to do all this shit and kill yourself again, right?"

"It's enough of self-sacrifice for a day, Peter"

He would've given his mentor an eye roll if it was any other day but he was too tired for it and Tony’s worry was actually heartwarming, so Peter could only let out a small laugh.

"It's just sleep"

"Are you sure you're not going to die on me for a third time?"

He was really tired, man, so he just mumbled lazy words into Mr. Stark's shoulder, unable to move even an inch of the rest of his body.

"I promise, _dad_. Please let me sleep"

Peter heard some laughs before drifting to the land of dreams.

Well, it wasn't the kind of rest he expected to achieve that day, but was worth it in the end.  
.  
.

**Author's Note:**

> Well, I truly hope you like it. Please comment and leave kuddos <3


End file.
